Gem in the Rough
by IceWarrior13
Summary: You can't choose your family, where you come from. But you can choose where you go from there. The problem is, you have to be able to see what's wrong with where you are in order to walk away. That's why the kind, naïve younger twin-sister of Emerald Suatrai is exactly who Cinder Fall needed to unwittingly give her more information on the enemy than she ever could have hoped for.


A woman stood into an alleyway, her amber eyes fixated upon something with deep thought and dark intent. The young woman wore a dark-red, v-neck minidress with yellow designs and separated sleeves, the dress held up by a ribbon tied around her neck. There was a blue, feather-like accessory on her right hip, at the top of an open portion of the dress, and the dress ended in an upside-down triangular tail just above the knees. There was a baseball-shaped hole in the dress' upper back, and the sleeves ended in a yellow triangle-shape, which was wrapped around the middle finger. She wore black shorts under the dress, and she wore a pair of high heels with a gold and black anklet.

The woman had ashen-black hair, and there were a pair of swords and some arrows held to her back by a ribbon. She gave a light smirk.

"How did you do that?" The woman asked, and the object of her attention reached for her weapons. "Don't." There was a sound, like people running. "Unless, of course, you want them to hear you."

The other inhabitant of the alleyway was a young girl with darker skin, blood-red eyes, and mint-green hair held in a two-tailed ponytail. She wore a short olive-colored crop-top, and she wore brown chaps and a brown belt. Beneath her chaps she wore dark green pants, and plain dark brown flat shoes. She also wore white half-gloves. In a sheath at her belt, there were two green pistols. The girl glared at the woman, then slowly removed her hands from her weapons.

"What do you want?"

"I've already told you, and I don't like repeating myself."

"I didn't do anything!" The girl was backed into a corner, and she didn't know how to get out. "Just leave me alone!"

"I know more than my fair share of liars and thieves." The woman admitted, ignoring the girl. "Stealing is an art of patience, coordination, and in a pinch: slight of hand. But you didn't steal that ring in your pocket, you took it right before the jeweler's eyes. And he smiled."

"... Who are you?"

"My name is Cinder Fall." The woman in red stated. "And I am looking for someone to help me start a revolution. You seem to be the perfect candidate, Emerald Sustrai." The green-haired girl's eyes narrowed.

"You're offering me a job?"

"A place by my side. A chance to travel the world and learn the truth behind all the lies you've been fed... You will question everything you know."

"I-I don't know." The girl stepped back, shaking her head. "I can't just leave, I have to... I can't." Cinder raised an eyebrow, frowning.

"Why not?"

"... I have to stay here and take care of my sister." Emerald admitted. Cinder's eyes widened slightly.

"Sister?"

"Look, you've done your research on me, and you've gone through a lot of trouble to get here." Emerald began. "You can stay with my sister and I, tonight, but I can't go with-"

"What if I offered your sister a place as well?"

"... What?"

"You and your sister, free from poverty and ridicule." Cinder approached. "You steal to provide, go through so much to take care of yourself and her..." Cinder placed a hand on Emerald's shoulder. "Come with me, and the two of you will never go hungry again." Emerald slowly looked up, her blood-red eyes filling with tears, and she finally gave a nod.

"T-thank you..."

 ** _/\_**

Emerald led Cinder to a poorer side of town, arriving at an old apartment building. Emerald led Cinder up to the third floor, and they walked down a hallway. Emerald looked over at her employer.

"I guess I should warn you."

"Warn me?" Cinder raised an eyebrow as they paused at a door. The green-haired girl nodded. "About what?"

"Three things. One: she's my younger twin sister. We're identical twins, which means that we'll probably have similar semblances once she finally discovers hers."

"Alright. And?"

"Two: try not to ask her any questions about our past. I'll gladly answer any, but only while we're alone. She's, I don't know, different because of what we've gone through. She's really innocent, and energetic, and she hides her real emotions well. What she looks like she's feeling is oftentimes really different from what she's actually feeling. The only time you can be sure of how she feels is when she looks scared, which happens more often than you would think when you first meet her. You'll pick up on it, eventually. Three..."

"What?"

"Even though she has her timid moments, sister's still a bit of a..." Emerald narrowed her eyes as she tried to think of the proper word. "Free spirit." Cinder raised an eyebrow.

" _Free spirit_?"

"Yeah." Emerald nodded. "But she's the best. You'll see." Emerald opened the door to the apartment, and wild music entered the hallway. Inside, a girl near-identical to Emerald danced around, smiling as she played a neon-green/black/silver electric guitar.

Her short, green hair was choppily cut and flying everywhere, two longer tails hanging down in the back. Her feet were bare, and she wore a pair of dark-green shorts and a light-green tank-top, not even noticing the pair standing in the doorway.

Song-samples played in the background as the girl rapidly strummed the guitar, starting to sing.

" ** _They see you as small and helpless,_**

 ** _They see you as just a child!_**

 ** _Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild!_**

 ** _Prepare for your greatest moments!_**

 ** _Prepare for your finest hour!_**

 ** _The dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower!_**

 ** _We are lightning..!_**

 ** _Straying from the thunder!_**

 ** _Miracles of ancient wonder!_**

 ** _This will be the day we've waited for!_**

 ** _This will be the day we open up the door..._**

 ** _I don't wanna hear your absolutions!_**

 ** _Hope you're ready for a revolution!_** "

"Well... Should we alert her of our presence?" Cinder asked, uncertain as to what was happening. Emerald shook her head, giving a light smile.

"We have our own ways of trying to provide for each other. I steal, and she sells her music... She also steals a lot. I've had a bad influence on her."

"... She's rather good."

"Yeah, she is. Everything you hear, she wrote and recorded herself."

" ** _Welcome to a world of new solutions!_**

 ** _Welcome to a world of bloody evolution..._**

 ** _In time, your heart will open minds!_**

 ** _A story will be told!_**

 ** _And victory is in a simple soul!_** " The green-haired girl smiled deviously as she continued playing. Her sister and Cinder listened intently.

" ** _Your world needs a great defender!_**

 ** _Your world's in the way of harm!_**

 ** _You want a romantic life, a fairytale that's full of charm!_**

 ** _Beware that the light is fading!_**

 ** _Beware if the dark returns!_**

 ** _This world's unforgiving, even brilliant lights will cease to burn!_**

 ** _Legends scatter..._**

 ** _Day and night will sever!_**

 ** _Hope and peace are lost forever!_** " As the girl sang, Cinder's eyes widened in astonishment. Those words were eerily familiar...

" ** _This will be the day we've waited for!_**

 ** _We are lightning..._**

 ** _Welcome to a world of new solutions!_**

 ** _This will be the day we've waited for!_**

 ** _This will be the day we open up the door..._**

 ** _I don't wanna hear your absolution!_**

 ** _Hope you're ready for a revolution!_**

 ** _Welcome to a world of new solutions!_**

 ** _Welcome to a world of bloody evolution..._**

 ** _In time, your heart will open minds!_**

 ** _A story will be told!_**

 ** _and victory is in a simple soul!_** " The girl laughed as she finished, flipping her hair back and letting out a sigh of relief as she opened a pair of blood-red eyes. "That's a wrap! Take five!"

With that, the girl fell back and collapsed on a couch, letting out a noise of exhaustion and satisfaction as she rested her head on her arms.

"Jade!" Emerald walked over and flicked her younger sister in the head. "Jade, wake up!" Jade waved a hand, groaning as she desperately tried to stay asleep and comfortable.

"No, Emmy! Five more minutes..!"

"Jade!" Emerald crossed her arms. "We have a guest." The girl opened an eye, looking over at Cinder. A mint-green eyebrow raised.

"A Huntress?"

"The answer to all our problems." Emerald assured, then gave a light smile. "Another hit." Jade smiled and sat up.

"Thanks!" She grinned, then stood and walked over to Cinder, casually extending a hand. "Jade Sustrai."

"Cinder Fall." Cinder shook her hand, eyebrow raised. Jade nodded, quickly noting the name. "So, I hear that you're quite the rebel."

"Oh, I guess." Jade replied, sounding a bit nervous due to the attention. "So, um, _the answer to all our problems_ , huh? What's this all about?"

"Well..." Cinder gave a light smirk. "To put it in the simplest terms, this unforgiving world is in desperate need of an evolution, no matter how bloody. I'm starting a revolution, and I need assistance. You two are perfect for the job." Jade raised an eyebrow, looking confused and a little intimidated.

"Um... What exactly do you have in mind?"

"That all depends." Cinder gestured to Emerald. "Your sister has some prowess in combat, confidence, training with her semblance and aura. What exactly are you capable of?"

"Well..." Jade gave a light smirk. "Let's just say that you have never seen anything like it." Cinder crossed her arms.

"Try me."

 ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_**

 _"E-Em?!"_

 _"This is impossible!"_

 _ **/\**  
_

 _"There's one more person we need. I wish to take on an apprentice... We need Marcus Black."_

 _ **/\**  
_

 _"He lives in the mountains, with his son."_

 ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_**

A boy with messy grey hair and grey eyes stood on a path before a burning house, glaring at whoever stood before him, livid and exhausted.

He wore a gray and black two-tone jacket that covered his upper body, a single-notched belt with what appeared to be a sash or bandana draped over it (bearing his emblem, a boot with wings on the back), sets rerebraces and vambraces on his arms, orange and black pants, and black boots. Hastily-wrapped, bloodied bandages were around both of his knees, which looked like they were ready to give out at any moment.

"What are you looking at?" He asked. On the path before him were Emerald, Cinder, and Jade. Jade had donned a pair of black sneakers, a black belt, and a canister of glowing-green liquid was held to her back by brown backpack-straps, the handles of neon-green guns peering out from behind her shoulders.

"We're looking for Marcus Black." Cinder announced. The boy spat on the path, then gestured to a motionless body lying on the path behind him.

"Yeah? There you go!"

"That's the master assassin?!" Emerald asked, stunned. Cinder slowly smirked, looking at the boy.

"And you're his son." She realized. "We saw your fight from the tree-line. He's taught you well." The boy scowled, the thought disgusting him.

"I guess."

"What's your name?"

"Mercury."

"Mercury... Tell me, are you anything like your father?"

"Um... Cinder, ma'am? He looks ready to go into shock from his injuries." Jade announced, looking at the beaten boy worriedly. "So, um... Can I..?" Mercury suddenly collapsed, and Cinder quickly nodded. Jade ran over, pulling out a medical kit and kneeling next to the boy, eyes narrowing. "Okay, this is really, really bad. Almost all the nerves, arteries, and tendons below the knees have been sliced and severed."

"Thanks, Doc." Mercury rolled his eyes. "I feel so much better." Jade shot a glare/deadpan, and she looked over her shoulder at Cinder and Emerald, frowning and shaking her head.

"We need to get him to a doctor. These legs either need to be fixed or amputated, and fast. His life pretty much depends on it." Jade looked at the boy. "And it's Jade, not _Doc_. Em, help me."

The two sisters grabbed the boy's arms and hoisted him onto their shoulders, Cinder leading the way down the path through the trees.

"I'm Emerald." Emerald finally spoke up, gesturing with her head to the woman walking before them. "That's Cinder. I'm Jade's older twin."

"So I noticed." Mercury raised an eyebrow as he looked between the two. "I'm guessing you're the stick in the mud, Em, and little _Doc_ is the fun/socially-awkward one."

"Hey!" Emerald glared as Jade giggled. "I am not the stick in the mud! I'm the responsible one, and I can be fun if I want to be!"

"Easy, Em." Jade smiled. "Don't have an aortic convulsion."

"A what?"

"Brain heart-attack. Caused by stress and high blood-pressure. You seem especially at risk right now."

"Nah, leave her be." Mercury smirked deviously. "She's cute when she's all upset." Emerald blushed and glared venomously.

"I hate you both."

 ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_**

 _"So, what's in it for me?"_

 _"We don't need him! Everything was going fine- AH!"_

 _"Do not mistake you place."_

 _"Stop it! Just stop it!"_

 _"What just happened?! Everything's gone red! Em, are you messing with me?!"_

 _"I see it, too! Emerald-!"_

 _"It's not me! Jade, stop it!"_

 _"Stop what?! What's going on?! My head - AH!"_

 ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_**

Jade hugged her knees to her chest, sitting on the roof of a hotel and looking at the night sky, tears racing down her face as she grit her teeth, closing her eyes and bowing her head.

"Jade?" A voice asked. Jade looked back to see Cinder standing there, a frown on her face. Jade glared, then looked away and rested her head on her knees again, the tears still falling. "Care to explain what's wrong?"

"Other than the fact that you slapped my sister across the face and I discovered that I've got a powerful, almost-uncontrollable version of her semblance that nearly sent you and Mercury into comas?" Jade muttered quietly. "I'm just peachy." Cinder walked over and sat down next to her, sighing before looking at the girl.

"Jade, I admit that I reacted irrationally to your sisters words. But, your reaction to what I did was... Strange. You are usually adept at restraining yourself, but you allowed your emotions to completely take over." As Cinder spoke, Jade closed her eyes. "We all have had difficult pasts. Mercury and his father, the horrors I have witnessed... Can you tell me about you and your sister?" Jade's body tensed. "Emerald asked me not to ask you, but you seem to be the one most affected by whatever you're hiding... Jade, this isn't just a faction. We look out for each other, defend each other, strengthen each other, and heal each other when we're broken. If you just tell me what's wrong, I can help you. We all can." Cinder saw hesitance, and she placed a hand on Jade's shoulder, frowning. "I promise, Jade, I will never lay a hand on you, Emerald, or Mercury ever again."

Jade sighed, then slowly looked up and turned her head to gaze at Cinder, her eyes shining from tears.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"W-well..."

 ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_**

 _"My father always said, 'If you wanna know a city, ask the rats'."_

 _ **/\**  
_

 _"Well... Hello, gorgeous."_

 _ **/\**  
_

 _"Well, that went terrible. How are we supposed to get Bull-Boy to agree to help us, now?"_

 _"It matters not. There is another important task we must attend to... Jade, tail Adam and the White Fang. The rest of us will deal with this matter."_

 _"O-okay."_

 ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_**

Jade watched wide-eyed as she ran alongside a cliff, seeing Adam Taurus and his partner attacking a train carrying _Schnee Dust Company_ cargo. Their skills were extraordinary...

Jade stared as a huge spider-mech sent the two flying out of a car, and she couldn't help it. The girl leapt down onto the train and charged, whipping out a pair of strange-looking, neon-green pistols with large tanks of liquid on top. Were they filled with... Paint?

Jade fired at the mech, the green paint exploding on contact, revealing it to be Dust-infused. Jade turned a dial on the back of the right pistol, firing a paint-blob that froze a leg to the train.

Adam and his partner briefly looked up at Jade in surprise, then Adam ordered the cat-Faunus to buy some time. The girl in black charged, Jade providing cover-fire until the other girl fell back, Adam ordering her to move as the mech fired its main cannon.

Adam absorbed the blast into his blade, then proceeded to reduce the mech to rose-petals with his semblance, sheathing his blade.

That's when Jade and Adam noticed the cat-Faunus on another car, looking up at her partner with forlorn eyes as she raised her weapon.

"Goodbye."

The girl severed the connection between the main train and the car Adam and Jade stood on, soon moving too far away to be seen. Jade leapt down as Adam slowly lowered his hand.

"Um..." Jade tapped her index-fingers together nervously. "Are you okay?" The bull-Faunus was silent. "Uh... Why did she-?"

"She wasn't willing to make sacrifices for the good of our revolution." Adam turned around, glaring at Jade through the lifeless slits of his Grimm-mask. "Why are you here?"

"I just wanted to help." The girl took a step back, knowing that the man was as unpredictable as he was powerful. "I saw you get thrown out, and I-"

"You were spying?!"

"No! No, I wasn't!"

"You're one of those girls from last night, one of the madwoman's followers! What do you want?!"

"I'm not here to spy, I promise! I'm not even with them, right now! They're nearly a kingdom away! I saw you in trouble and wanted to help!" Jade saw him place a hand on his sword's hilt. "Uh... Please, don't kill me?"

"One good reason: fast!"

"I, um..."

"I don't have all day, human."

"... I don't really have one." The girl admitted, then closed her eyes and got ready for death. ' _God, this is it! I'm gonna die! What if I go to Hell?! Uh, God? Sorry for stealing and all the other bad stuff I've done! Please, don't damn me to Hell for all eternity!_ '

"... Last night, you were kept outside the tent." Adam stated. Jade slowly opened her eyes and nodded. "You don't seem like the kind of human to get mixed up in this sort of thing... Do you even know their plan?"

"Um, Mercury and Emerald are her right and left hand." Jade admitted. "I'm sorta like backup. The medic, the cover fire, that sorta thing. I don't get invited to the big meetings." Jade tapped her index-fingers together. "All I know is that Cinder wants to start some sort of revolution that's really going to change the world, and I'm apparently going to be a big part of it. I just don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. So, um... Are you going to kill me, now?"

"... I have more important things to be doing, right now." Adam glared, looking back at the train car as it came to a slow stop. "If you were smart, you would get out of my way, kid."

"O-okay!" Jade nodded, not about to question the act of mercy. The girl quickly turned, leapt off the train, and ran for the Forest of Forever Fall.

 ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_**

 _"It's time."_

 _"You're sure about this? She doesn't even fully understand what's happening! She won't know why she's really there! If she finds out-"_

 _"Calm, Emerald... She is the obvious candidate. Clueless to our plans, almost guiltless, and innocent-sounding enough to pass as another one of his pupils. Her deviousness and other personality traits will erase all suspicion towards her. She's perfect."_

 _"I don't know. Even I don't like the idea of sending **Jay** in there without know what's really going on."_

 _"Will you stop giving my sister nicknames?!"_

 _"Calm! ... It's decided."_

 ** _/\_**

 _"Um... What?"  
_

 _"We have decided that we would like you to further your training in combat, and we believe that the best possible place for you to do so would be Beacon. We've already made up the transcripts and arranged for you to take the entrance exam."_

 _"You're... Sending me away?"_

 _"No, no! We're just looking out for you, little sister. We want you to be the best that you can be. Besides, you'll be able to call and text us every night!"_

 _"Yeah, **Jay**! And you can tell us all about your new friends, how good they are at fighting, their semblances, their weaknesses-!"_

 _"Mercury!"_

 _"And all about your school, your classes, the defenses, the weaknesses-!"_

 _"MERCURY!"_

 _"It'll be great!"_

 _"O-okay... I'll do it!"_

 _"Excellent..."_

 _ **/\**  
_

 _"Em?"_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"... I'm worried."_

 _"What? Why?"_

 _"I mean, I know that I've got control of my semblance for the most part, but what if I get too stressed-out and no one's there to talk me down? What if I end up hurting someone, like a friend or teammate?"_

 _"Hey, hey... Jade, you would never hurt anyone on purpose. And you won't lose control. I promise."_

 _"O-okay. I believe you. You've never lied to me before, right?"_

 _"Right..."_

 ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_**

A seventeen year-old girl stood on an airship, hugging herself and looking around uncomfortably as other people spoke and laughed.

She had wild mint-green hair (two long strips of hair hangling down) and and blood-red eyes. She had a darker complexion, and she wore red sneakers with white laces and black soles, black shorts, a loose white t-shirt with a black diamond-emblem on the chest, a black eye-mask, and silver/black wireless-headphones on her head. Strapped to her back was a canister of glowing, neon-green liquid, and above it in sheaths were two neon-green paint-gun/pistols. On the back of each pistol, there was a dial labeled with several Dust-types, then another dial with several paint colors, _smoke_ , and _acid_.

"Yikes." A voice spoke. Jade turned around, seeing a gloved hand lower a pair of sunglasses, a pair of dark-brown eyes examining her. "Who taught you about fashion, kid?"

It was a girl with short dark-brown hair, and dark-brown, wavy locks on one side of her face, dyed with a gradient that started in dark brown and slowly transitioned to caramel. She wore a long, cocoa-colored shirt with a dark brown waist cincher and long, dark brown trousers with ribbons on the left side and a brown belt with bullets. Above it, she wore another cocoa-colored belt of bullets with a gold crosshairs buckle. What appeared to be a drape of black skirt hung on her right side. She wore a pair of dark brown, high-heeled leather boots with buckles. She also wore a bracelet with black roses as decoration, black gloves, and black necklaces. She wore a dark-brown beret and a pair of black, wire-rimmed aviator1sunglasses. She held a black shoulder bag with gold studs, which was held by a bandoleer strap.

"Um..." Jade frowned. "I did?" The girl _tsk_ ed and placed a hand on Jade's shoulder, shaking her head and sighing in disappointment.

"You poor thing..." The girl extended a hand. "Coco Adel." Jade tensely shook it, raising an eyebrow.

"Jade Sustrai."

"Jade Sustrai..." Coco repeated, noting the name. "Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"Um, I guess I haven't quite turned seventeen yet."

"Hmm..." Coco finally smiled. "Stick with me, kid. I'll make sure you don't get bloodied up too badly."

"Um, thanks?"

"Don't mention it."

 ** _Well... Yeah. I decided to try a villain twin-story, and I came up with this. Then, I decided that I needed to work better on my characterization of Team CFVY, so I placed Jade in their year. How am I doing, so far?_**

 ** _The idea for this came from a dare. My friend showed me a piece of fan art (the picture for this story) and asked me to write a story behind it. Knowing that there was probably no way in Hell that canon-Emerald would dress like that or do that to her weapons, I decided that it was time to work my magic. Yet another twin-fic!_**

 _ **I only own my OC! Credit for her design goes to the fan-artist, but the personality and backstory are all me. I also don't own** This Will Be the Day **. Please read,** review **, check out my other stories, etc. Thanks!**_


End file.
